Dining Well for Less

Blame it on the Food Network. Blame it on irresistibly delicious new magazines like Lucky Peach. Blame it on the existence of foie gras crème brulee.  Millennials have a refined palate (as in, an insatiable appetite for expensive, exotic, challenging foods) and no kind of budget to enjoy the spoils of modern food culture. New York recently published an article about the growing number of twentysomethings who spend a quarter of their paycheck on fine foods. But we shouldn’t have to choose between eating well and living well. Here are some suggestions for enjoying nicer restaurants for less.

Don't Fall for Restaurant Week

It’s only $30 for three courses, but those menus are often full of dumbed-down, lower price point offerings that aren’t really representative of the restaurant’s normal cuisine. Do the math on dinner for two: $30 dinner + $30 dinner + $30 bottle of wine + tax and tip = roughly $120, which is the same as (or more than) you’d spend if you just went to the restaurant on a regular night. Instead, order fewer, better things for the same price.

Eat at the Bar

Restaurants often offer less expensive bar menus that still give you a real taste of the restaurant, but in smaller portions and at lower prices.

Watch for a Good Deal

Websites like Groupon and Rue La La offer dining deals in bigger cities like Boston. Restaurant.com offers discount gift certificates to a huge variety of dining establishments.

Go with the Classics

If a restaurant is known for one great thing, go and try just that one thing. Providence’s Al Forno is credited with inventing grilled pizza; have one and a glass of wine, and you’ve gotten the essence of the restaurant without dropping serious cash on dinner.